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Entry 7 - Applying Social and Political Lenses

Juanita McNeely's Is it Real? Yes it is! Applying Feminist critical lenses (400 word Critique)

This oil painting done by, Juanita McNeely in 1969, is a depiction of her experience having an illegal abortion years prior of its creation. The work is made up of 9 panels which measure overall to a 368.9 x 368.9 cm. In addition, each panel depicts a different aspect of this experience and emotional turmoil.

From a feminist criticism lens, i can see that through this art work there is a level of visibility that is given towards the people that had went through similar experiences. Given its time context, and even now in the 21st century the topic of abortion remains taboo and controversial ( Actipedia, 2023). I feel that there is a level of raw honesty in this work, given it is made up of 9 panels all showcasing different aspects it properly depicts the number of emotions, thoughts and trauma the artist went through. She brings about visibility and the work is also an example of challenging narratives towards the topic of abortion, women health and bodies (Whitney Museum of American Art, 2023). Although the work is very graphic and shows the female body it is not made with the intention of the 'male gaze', this is the artists personal experience which makes it very harsh and real, It depicts what was probably the hardest and most distressed time for her. This is to me shown at the fact that in some panels she depicts herself from a 3rd person perspective, this relates to the idea of disassociation from the event, and other times as been noted by Curator Jane Panetta (2023), some panels depict it from the eyes of the viewer/her point of view, almost to pull you in the horrific moments (Whitney Museum of American Art, 2023). All this things challenge that of what is normal, at the time of its depiction in 1969, women had less rights in general which adds on to resisting what was expected from a women at the time.

As a conclusion i feel that this is depicted well in a sense that it gave this artist her voice through creating this, although she didn't wish to create such violent images (McKneely 2023). She managed to capture that experience and put it on canvas, which can potentially reach viewers with similar views and experiences, this in my opinion gives visibility to women. On a final note however there could be some instances where people whom went through similar experiences may find too emotional or graphic for them personally.

REFERENCES

Actipedia, 2023, “Is it Real? Yes It Is!” Date accessed : 13th December 2024 Available at: https://actipedia.org/project/%E2%80%9C-it-real-yes-it-%E2%80%9D

Laura Thipphawong, 2020, 'Art Theory: Feminism ' Date accessed: 12th December 2024 Available at: https://www.artshelp.com/art-theory-feminism/

Whitney Museum of American Art, ND, ''Juanita McNeely | Is It Real? Yes, It Is! 1969 '' Date accessed: 13th December 2024 Available at: https://whitney.org/collection/works/65502

Whitney Museum of American Art, 2023, 'Is It Real? Yes, It Is!' Date accessed: 13th December 2024 Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWj5QFOETwo

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Journal Entry - Chosen work

Trashed by Sima Kahaki Year: 2024 medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 90cm x 90cm

Some notes about the artist statement:

Trashed (2024) is one work from a series of 3.

Depictions of the mass, capturing the scenes of ruins, decay and sadness.

This work's composition includes depictions of various items that are discarded, these include; drink/ soda cans, tires, scraps of materials, plastic bags etc. The medium chosen for this work is paint, and the artist focused on leaving visible strokes and thick layers of paint, making the surface textured.

The organisation of the composition is very busy and crowded, similar to when we look at a scrapyard. The elements all together are depicted very sharp, with angled subjects, which almost seem to point towards the off center (green cans). Noting also the choice of colours are muted also made to resemble the actual object.

My personal interpretation of this work alone at initial glance is to, depict the environmental crisis around us, the over consumption and the waste that comes along with it. Also the processes of discarding of trash not being the best for the environment. Given the subjects and theme depicted i feel that the artist made the decision to use thick layers of paint consciously, i feel that this relates to the accumulation of trash that humans have caused. This can show metaphorically that the layers runs deep and that there is more than we are seeing on the surface, so much so its coming out from the smooth surface that was the canvas originally. The overall aesthetic of the work can be quite overwhelming and even the subject matter itself it personal makes me think of the reality of the state of the environment and that accumulation

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Entry 6 - Interpretation

Class Notes:

allows for a deeper meaning, connection and understanding with the work

In an artwork we can look at the themes, symbolism, emotions and cultural context

Discussion on:

Guernica by Pablo Picasso (1937)

Depicted the violence of the bombing of Guernica.

It focuses of the horrors of war, for context during the time this was made Spain was fighting the civil war (Grandpalais, 2015).

Class Work:

1)Historical 2)Symbolic 3)Personal Response

Personal response:

Overwhelming and busy composition, feelings of worry and helplessness which cause feelings of anxiety

Sharp and pointed edges, these evoke feelings of danger in the situation

Distorted figures and elements can also evoke feelings of sadness but also can be quite disturbing the more you look at them

A sense of remorse towards the tragedy

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Entry 5 - Ex.5

Edward Hoppers - Nighthawks (1942)

Personal Interpretation

This painting to me overall offers me a sense of peace, the mood and setting reminds me of the quiet night life were there isn't much going on. This particularly could stem from the fact that there is not many people depicted and the outside scenery seems dull and empty. The choice of colours and saturation allows me to feel the air outside being colder that of inside, contrasting with warmer and colder colour tones. Although usually sharp and angular forms would offer me a sense of uncertainty maybe even danger, this work leans more towards a mysterious feeling. It personally makes me curious of 2 notable things, 1. where does the road take you give that because of the window there is a darker blue glaze on top of the shops from across, and 2. who the figures are, and how that interaction must be like. The figures are also all inside and there seems to be no one outside, this could be because of the time the painting is set in.

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Entry 4 - The Feldman Method

This is an approach for art criticism, which is split into 4 categories

description

analysis

interpretation

judgment

Was developed by art educator Edmund Burke Feldman.

Steps which help one criticise a work within these steps, whilst

keeping in mind the formal elements, principles and context of the work.

Key principles of this method

Description is the first step to this method, this focuses of describing in depth the artwork, focusing on the elements, describing well how they are making up and responding to the composition

Analysis includes looking at the the elements within the art piece itself; such as line, colour, texture etc. Also how are these creating and shaping the work, the aesthetic of the composition.

Interpretation - in this step the viewer is now encourage to form an emotional and engaging level of connection to the piece, which will allow for a thorough response and begin to narrate their own interpretation.

Judgment is the last step of this method, this is where after considering all the visual and contextual elements of the entire work as a whole.

REFERENCE

NA, March 2024, 'Feldman Method of Art Criticism – Definition, Examples, History & More – Art Education and Methodologies Glossary' Date accessed: 25th November 2024 [Online] Available at: https://jerwoodvisualarts.org/art-education-and-methodologies-glossary/feldman-method-of-art-criticism/

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Lesson 3 - Elements and principles of Art (Shape and Form)

Class exercise:

1.What patterns and shapes stand out to you?

The fields and how they blend into the forms of a bird

2. How do the positives and negative spaces interact with each other?

They compliment and contrast each other, making the transition seamless

3.Describe the visual flow of the composition.

Personally i feel drawn to the center of the composition, and the flow of my eyes go up and down from the gradient of the land and birds.

4.How does the symmetry affect your perception of the scene?

The composition mirroring is in the negative and its almost seamless, yet i still feel draw to the center where the composition would split.

Art work by: MC Escher

'Day and Night' - 1938

Other reflections:

Different types of shapes and forms

organic

geometric

abstract

TEXTURE - Tactile vs. Visual

Tactile : refers to texture that can be physically felt and touches

Tactile drawing is a technique that I've experimented with and found relevant to this.

The technique involves holding an object whilst not looking at it and rather than drawing a still life, you feel the object and draw the feeling.

Visual

Visual texture is focused on physically seeing the texture ex. texture of the paint (thick layers), visible strokes and even the illusion of texture, ex. hyper realistic painting of trees.

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Lesson 2 - Reflection, thoughts and discussion

The lecture was based around the elements and principles of art, focusing on line and colour.

Understanding how types of line can suggest and have symbolism attached to it, brought on a new perspective when reading artworks. Lines that make up the overall composition also guides the viewers emotions.

Colours!

we briefly went over colour theory, the use of colour in artworks and how colours can symbolise and enhance emotions. Colours symoblising certain emotions is dependent on culture and time context.

Colour can be used to guide the viewers emotions.

''. . .Colour has the ability to make us think. . .'' - Katherina Grosse (2015)

One that caught my attention is when discussing the colour blue, and how it symbolised tranquility and trust; for example when depicting something like the virgin Mary its there to show purity.

Blue was also seen as a very precious pigment as it was sourced from a precious stone; Lapis Lazuli.

However when looking at the work Picasso produced during 1901-1904,; also known as the blue period. The artist used shades various shades of blue. These paintings personally feel like he was trying to depict a cold atmosphere, this has also been theorised and it is probable that these were his intentions (Guggenheim, ND).

Woman Ironing, 1904 The old guitarist, 1903/04

Picasso Picasso

References

Art21, 2015, 'Katharina Grosse: Painting with Color | Art21 "Extended Play" Date accessed: 16th October 2024 Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBfPMGS7XPo

The Guggenheim museum and foundation, ND, 'Blue period' Date accessed: 16th October 2024 Available at: https://www.guggenheim.org/teaching-materials/picasso-black-and-white/blue-period

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Lesson 1 - Self-Reflection prompts/ Discussion

Can you think of an example where you have informally critiques an artwork? what were your bases for judgement?

Although i cant think of a specific art work where i informally critiqued, however i am sure that in the beginning of my course , whilst learning the history of art that there have been various moments where i judged an art work informally. The bases could have been simply the aesthetics which since I've learnt is not the only thing that makes something Art.

How do you think art criticism contributes to development of art and artistic practices?

I think art criticism can have a lot to offer for the development of art because it opens a discussion, discussing/criticizing an artwork could make an audience express their different points and could lead to innovations in the art world. I also think its a way to learn from one an other, and to be able to formulate our own taste and opinions.

How might an understanding of criticism influence your interaction with and perception of art in the future?

I think by discussing various aspects of the artworld such as, the differences between concepts and/or representations of something, the different interpretations of what is art and how it can be dependent on the individual audience or viewer. All this could lead to an improved way of thinking, by getting more exposed to terminologies, ideas and what came before it could influence me to think more critically and be more mindful when criticizing an art work (good or bad).